Boiler-tube cleaner.



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. KRAUSE, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES C. LA'DD,

' OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BOILER-TUBE, CLEANER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. KRAUsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boiler-Tube Cleaners, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re ates to the rotary cleaners or cutter-heads employed for removing the scale or incrustation from the tubes of water-tube boilers, and more especially to cleaners of this kind having toothed, forwardly-converging roller-cutters.

The object of this invention is the production of a strong, effective and durable cleaner of this character'in which the cutters can be readily ad'usted toward or from the cleanerhead to a apt the tool to the varying thickness of scale in different tubes and to take up wear of the cutters.

In the accompanying drawin s: Fig re 1 is a longitudlnal central section 0 the cleaner.

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof, partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the same. Fig. 4 is a transverse section in line 44, Fig. 1.

Similar.letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A indicates the head or frame of the cleaner v provided in its rear end with a screw-threaded socket 0 adapted to receive the threaded front end of a shaft a which is driven by, a motor of any suitable construction not shown in-the drawings. 1 Equidistant around this head are arranged a number of longitudinal forwardly-converging shafts B, preferably three, which are sup ported in openings or bearings g, 0 formed in anges projecting from the head." Upon these shafts are loosely mounted rotary cutters D, D having eripheral teeth d of any suitable form Wh-IOE cut and crush the scale as the cutters roll rapidly over the same.

Two cutters are preferably journaled on each shaft,'as shown, and the front one tapers for wardly and the rear one in the opposite direc tion, the adjoining ends of the two cutters being of about the same diameter. It is desirable to render the cutters adjustable toward and from the axis of the head A to adapt the tool to the varying thickness of scale in. difl'erent boiler-tubes and to take up wear of the cutters, especially the rear cutters and the rear portion of the front cutters.

For this purpose,'the end portions b, b of each shaft B are arranged axially in line with Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 15, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908.

Serial No. 368,390.

the shaft, particularly its rear ortion is ofiset or arranged eccentrically to sald end portions, so that upon turning the shaft in its bearings the cu tters are moved inwardly or outwardly on the head more or less. The de ree of throw o1"eccentricity of each shaft pre erably diminishes gradually toward its front end, as shown, so that practically no radial movement occurs at the forward end of the front cutters in adjusting the cutters.

In Fig. 1, the dotted line :r-a: indicates the axis of the shaft around which the cutters revolve in operation, while the dotted line y q indicates the axis upon which the shaft turns in adjusting the cutters.

Any suitable vvmeans may be employed for normally locking the adjustable shafts against rotation in. their bearings. In the construction shown in the drawin s, the cylindrical rear end I) of each shaft is fitted in a plain or smooth bearing, while its front ortion b is provided with longitudinal teet or pro'ections 1) which interlock with correspon ing grooves formed in the corresponding bearing each other, while the intermediate body of c and extending throughout the length of the latter.

Each shaft is held against forward displacement by a removable pin or cotter e passed through its rear end and against rearward displacement by the shoulder formed at the junction of its eccentric portion and 1ts reduced rear end. 1

To adjust the cutters, the cotters e are removed and the shafts B are slid forwardsufliciently to disengage their locking teeth I) from the grooved front bearing 0 The shafts are then turned to effect the desired adjustment,

after which they are returned to their former 7 position and the cotters are replaced.

"-lf desired, the arrangement of the lockingv devices of the adjustable shafts may be re- "versed,- the locking teeth I) being placed on the rear ends of the shafts and the cottersat their front ends.

- As shown in Fig. 1, a slight la is preferably left between the shaft an t e bores of the cutters, say about a thirty-second of an inch, to permit the cutters to move outward by centrifugal force and adapt themselves to inequalities of the boiler tubes.

By mounting the cutter-shafts rigidly on the head A, the cleaner cannot be advanced or pushed through the boiler tube without removing the scale; the operator therefore knows that so long as the tool advances it is cleaning properly.

The head may be rovided at its front end with a number 0 ed radial cutters F, if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a boiler tube cleaner, a scale-detacher comprising a head, a shaft arranged lengthwise thereon, capable of rotary adjustment and having an eccentric or ofiset portion, and a cutteror cutters mounted on the eccentric ortion of the shaft, substantially as set fort o 2. In a boiler" tube cleaner, a scale-detacher comprising a head, a shaft arranged lengthwise thereon and capable of rotary adjustment, the shaft beinglprovided with an eccentric portion and wit teeth adapted to interlock with corresponding grooves in one of the shaft-bearings, and a cutter or cutters journaled on the eccentric portion of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

3. In a boiler tube cleaner, a scale-detacher com risin a head having shaft-bearings, one o whic is provided with internal longitudinal locking grooves, a shaft ar ranged in said bearings and capable of endwise movement therein, the shaft having an eccentric portion and longitudmal teeth interlocking with said grooved bearing, means for preventing longitudinal displacement of the shaft in its bearings, and a cutter or cutters journaled on the eccentric, portion of the shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In a boiler tube cleaner, a" scale-detacher comprising a head, a shaft-arranged lengthwise thereon and capable of rotary ad-' justment in its bearings, the body of the shaft being eccentric to its end-portions and diminishing in eccentricity toward one end, and a cutter or cutters journaled on the shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a. boiler tube cleaner, a scale-detacher comprising a head, a plurality of forwardly-converging'shafts arranged on said head and capable of rotary adjustment in their bearings, the body of each shaft being eccentric to 1ts end-portions and diminishing in eccentricity toward its front end, and a air of cutters journaled on each shaft, the rontcutter of each pair tapering forwardly and the rear one rearwardly and the adj oining ends of the cutters being of about the same diameter, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 11th day of April, 1907. ALBERT F. KRAUSE. Witnesses:

'BERTHA KRAUSE,

,Tnno. L. Porn 

